The present invention relates generally to multimedia data distribution via computer links and, more particularly, to interactive multimedia data events with recording and reporting capabilities in a computer-linked arrangement. More particularly still, the present invention relates to the ability to provide, modify, or interchange multimedia data to a computer user in an interactive learning mode and provide a report of the user""s activity level during a multimedia presentation session. The user is credited for reviewing and gaining proficiency in the session subject.
Computers have become pervasive in all aspects of the business and educational worlds. Computers allow for the generation, storage, retrieval, and interaction with data in useful ways. For example, business uses allow for large amounts of data to be correlated together in the form of databases or spread sheets that allow a user to categorize and view relationships more rapid than was previously possible without the aid of the computer.
Computers have also allowed for the dissemination of information either to limited groups or to large audiences via such communication channels as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet. Within this transmission of information, multimedia presentations have expanded to broaden the information dissemination and educational opportunities available over LANs, WANs, and the Internet.
The multimedia capabilities of today allow for students or interested persons to view information at their own pace, without needing to attend a class in the traditional sense of a teacher directly teaching students in a classroom setting. A teacher can now video tape a lecture and place it on a communications server so that students can access the lecture according their own schedule. The computer system also provides interactive participation with the lecture so the student, after the lecture has been presented, or at any time during the presentation of the lecture, may pause and reflect upon the subject matter presented in the lecture. This is done by providing a brief question and answer session to gauge the student""s understanding. The student can view his or her results and review the lecture to fill in the gaps of information lacking during the evaluation.
Unfortunately, what has been lacking is the ability to obtain information from various users of the education system and report that information back to a supervisor, such as an instructor (such as a teacher or professor), principal, administrator, or employer of the users in a meaningful and helpful manner for evaluation or review of the user""s understanding of the subject matter. For example, educational systems require that teachers continue to improve their teachings skills and understanding of information taught by them in their classrooms. The ability to view a lecture and then evaluate on their own their understanding of the material presented in the lecture is helpful to the teacher, but does not convey to the teacher""s supervisor what level of understanding the teacher has obtained. Further, the supervisor of the user would also be interested in knowing more about how long the user took to review the information, how the user performed in the evaluation, what level of interaction did the user have with the lecture presented, how the collective group or groups of educators are doing, and so forth.
The Internet has provided interactivity where an Internet user is able to browse among various web sites for information. Upon finding a site of interest to the user, that site at times is able to glean information from the user that would be helpful for the web provider in a commercial or social context. For example, a user may visit a commercial site that sells widgets. The widget provider questions the user about what the user""s needs are in order for the widget provider to best serve the needs of its clientele. This information is reported back to the widget provider so the widget provider can provide the best commercial site possible based on the needs of its clients.
Likewise, in a social setting, an advocacy group may provide a web site that invites all to view its positions. The advocacy web site may also solicit input from those that view its web site in order to find out the views and values of those visiting to refine its approach in achieving its goals. Both of these situations are different from the training or educational situation previously described in that the individual providing feedback to the commercial or social sites is not directly associated with the organization, nor is the user being evaluated for comprehension and learning of the disclosed subject matter.
Instructors often need to evaluate the level of understanding or the skills of the participants in the class or program. Without knowing the level of understanding or abilities of the participants, the instructor cannot gauge in advance whether the information to be presented is adequate for the participants. Thus, the instructor must assess the knowledge and skills of the participants prior to actually implementing an instructional or training program so that the program will best suit the needs and level of those participants.
Accordingly, what is needed is an interactive process that allows for educational and professional development via a computer system coupled to an Internet channel that allows an end user to view a presentation, be evaluated on the understanding gained by the user after the presentation, and reporting the results of the user""s activity and evaluation to a supervisor that uses that data to verify, evaluate, and enhance educational or teacher development, which data can also be used for professional development credit or even college credit. Further still, what is needed is the ability to assess the knowledge and skills of particular participants within a program and customize the content to be provided to those participants in a seamless manner. Further still, what is needed is the ability to provide participant summary data from institutions, feeder zones, areas, districts, regions, or state levels in the evaluation of educational and teacher development.
According to the present invention, a method and system for assessing educator/student skills, managing the teaching, evaluating, verifying, and reporting of an instructional segment to a given user accessing the instructional segment via a computer system are disclosed. The system for skills assessment and knowledge, managing the instructional segment and providing the verification, evaluation, teaching, and reporting of the user""s activity with the instructional segment is implemented within a computer system, typically a network connected system that has access to the Internet. The managing system includes means for streaming or broadcasting the instructional segment to the user for review by the user, means for evaluating the user""s comprehension of the instructional segment, means for verifying whether the user has completed or accessed the instructional segment, and means for reporting the user""s evaluation results of the instructional segment to an administrator or administrators. Further included are means for granting the user access to the instructional segment via a user handle and a private password that are corroborated by the database system during the user accessing the instructional segment.
The streaming means comprise an electronic data communications channel connected to the user with the computer system. As previously stated, this electronic data communications channel can include a local area network connection, a wide area network connection, or an internet connection that can access such networks as the World Wide Web. The internet connection can be via a LAN connection or direct dial. The reporting means includes a database for organizing, storing and retrieving the results of an evaluation performed by the user. The evaluation means electronically generates an exam to be taken by the user and records the results of that evaluation for subsequent review. The reporting means is further capable of reporting the length of time required by the user to complete the evaluation, which is helpful in evaluating how quickly the user assimilates the reviewed materials. The report also includes the results of the evaluation, which may be reported back to the user for the user""s own understanding of his or her grasp of the subject matter.
The reporting means further reports whether the user completed the evaluation and how much of the evaluation has been completed, which instructional segment has been reviewed by the user, as well as whether the user completed the evaluation on the date the user viewed the segment materials. Where activities or projects are required to be performed within the instructional segment, the system can also verify completion of such activities or projects. The report can further include the date and time of the evaluation, the I.P. address of the machine on which the user reviewed the materials, whether the activity and response has been verified and when verified, and whether any response or feedback has been sent to the user. This response can be via email or posted on the network accessed by the user using the login and password scheme described earlier. The responses from the users participating in reviewing the sessions can be reviewed real time as the information is provided across the communications link, or it may be saved for offline review and evaluation by the instructional supervisor.
The method for managing at least one instructional segment to be accessed by a user for providing a teaching, evaluation, and reporting program of that management operation. The method includes streaming the instructional segment to the user for review by the user, evaluating the user""s comprehension of the instructional segment, and reporting the user""s evaluation results of the instructional segment to an administrator. Further, the reports can be accessed and reported to varying or more than one administrative levels with specific summary data appropriate to the reviewing administrator. At the school level this can include reports to the teacher, department/grade level, school level, which can be organized into feeder zones, area/subdistricts, districts, regions, and finally, state levels.